Nov 28, 2008 8:38 am US/Central
Food Shelf Use Up In Woodbury
WOODBURY, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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The food shelf at the Woodbury Lutheran Church is open every Friday morning. Over the summer, they typically serve about 100 families, but in the past month or so, the shelf has been serving 150-175 families. (File)
CBS
In the basement of Woodbury Lutheran Church, volunteers have been sacking up free food for 25 years, but they have never seen the demand like they're seeing this year.
The tough times in today's economy are affecting people who never would have imagined they would need to have to ask for help.
The growing crowd at local food shelves includes people like Jean, who just nine months ago was making good money as a manager. She lost that job, then another job and then the bank foreclosed on her house.
"It's been very difficult for the all the kids," she said. "It's been difficult for me and my husband. We had to give up our home of 12 years. We had to give up a new vehicle that we had."
The food she gets at the food shelf will help her family get through the week.
"When you can't afford to send your kids lunch money to school, and you can't afford to feed them dinner and there's nothing there, you have to come," she said. "You have to do what you have to do to feed your family."
The food shelf at the Woodbury Lutheran Church is open every Friday morning. Over the summer, they typically serve about 100 families, but in the past month or so, the shelf has been serving 150-175 families.
"You don't know what goes on behind houses," said Sharon Wolff, the executive director of the Christian Cupboard. "I said even in these nice houses, you lose your job, your paycheck. They're a lot of times living just like you, paycheck to paycheck."
For many, the trip isn't easy.
"A lot of courage," said first-timer Lois Slocum. "Believe me, because you don't want handouts. You don't want to beg. You feel like you're begging and stuff like that, and, well, I didn't have anything in the cupboard anymore and all that was in the refrigerator was apple juice."
Donations to the Christian Cupboard come largely from church groups and school groups.
"Now if I had a job and worked, I would absolutely give to this because I appreciate being here and people doing it for me," Slocum said.
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